David H. Padden

David H. Padden

Credentials

Background

David H. Padden was the founder of the Heartland Institute, a founding director of the Cato Institute, and played a prominent role in a number of other libertarian think tanks. Padden also started the small municipal bond firm Padden and Co. in the early 1960s.

Stance on Climate Change

Key Quotes

“I would never attempt to second-guess whatever he's doing in the interest of making this a free country. He has a strategy that probably we are unaware of. He's so smart and so successful that I’m just going to await the outcome.” [3]

Key Deeds

According to his profile at the Heartland Institute, David H. Padden has provided financial assistance as well as his leadership to numerous libertarian organizations, many of which have been involved in disputing the existence of man-made climate change.

Democracy is utterly dependent upon an electorate that is accurately informed. In promoting climate change denial (and often denying their responsibility for doing so) industry has done more than endanger the environment. It has undermined democracy.

There is a vast difference between putting forth a point of view, honestly held, and intentionally sowing the seeds of confusion. Free speech does not include the right to deceive. Deception is not a point of view. And the right to disagree does not include a right to intentionally subvert the public awareness.

Keep In Touch

With the news of Willie Soon's fossil-fuel-funded career featured on the front page of The New York Times on Sunday, there's no time like the present to take a look at all of Soon's friends in the anti-science climate denial echo chamber.